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The jobs report and FOMC meeting caused some movement but rates ended up where they started; but any unexpected news could result in swift changes either way. View the full article

Starmer’s choice undermines multilateralism and poses risks to the UKView the full article

Welcome to AI Decoded, Fast Company’s weekly newsletter that breaks down the most important news in the world of AI. You can sign up to receive this newsletter every week here. Half of all LLM usage is for writing computer code The tech industry insists that AI will “transform” how companies, both large and small, operate. Tech VCs and AI founders predict that major business functions will be reshaped, one by one, to be handled by AI agents. For a while, many speculated which function would be transformed first. It wasn’t customer service, legal, or marketing: it was software development. Generative AI’s first killer app is coding. Tools like Cursor and Windsurf can now complete software projects with minimal input or oversight from human engineers. Businesses are rushing to capitalize on the efficiency gains offered by AI coding. Naveen Rao, chief AI officer at Databricks, estimates that coding accounts for half of all large language model usage today. A 2024 GitHub survey found that over 97% of developers have used AI coding tools at work, with 30% to 40% of organizations actively encouraging their adoption. (GitHub, owned by Microsoft, created one of the first such tools, Copilot.) Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently said AI now writes up to 30% of the company’s code. Google CEO Sundar Pichai echoed that sentiment, noting more than 30% of new code at Google is AI-generated. The soaring valuations of AI coding startups underscore the momentum. Anysphere’s Cursor just raised $900 million at a $9 billion valuation—up from $2.5 billion earlier this year. Meanwhile, OpenAI acquired Windsurf (formerly Codeium) for $3 billion. And the tools are improving fast. OpenAI’s chief product officer, Kevin Weil, explained in a recent interview that just five months ago, the company’s best model ranked around one-millionth on a well-known benchmark for competitive coders—not great, but still in the top two or three percentile. Today, OpenAI’s top model, o3, ranks as the 175th best competitive coder in the world on that same test. The rapid leap in performance suggests an AI coding assistant could soon claim the number-one spot. “Forever after that point computers will be better than humans at writing code,” he said. One reason for the progress: AI coding tools are gaining stronger reasoning abilities and can process much more information at once. While models retain general knowledge from pretraining, they depend on specific project-related input—such as a software description—provided by a human when it’s time to build something. This information is stored in short-term memory, known as a context window. Currently, state-of-the-art tools can productively consider fewer than 100,000 tokens (units representing words and word parts) at once. But that number is bound to go up. Google DeepMind research scientist Nikolay Savinov said in a recent interview that AI coding tools will soon support 10 million-token context windows—and eventually, 100 million. With that kind of memory, an AI tool could absorb vast amounts of human instruction and even analyze an entire company’s existing codebase for guidance on how to build and optimize new systems. “I imagine that we will very soon get to superhuman coding AI systems that will be totally unrivaled, the new tool for every coder in the world,” Savinov said. Accenture research shows AI ‘reinvention’ of business still far away A large percentage of that first wave of AI projects, numerous industry sources have told me, ran into unforeseen problems—such as messy or incomplete data, missing infrastructure, outdated IT systems, and a lack of in-house expertise—and never made it into production. Many of the projects that did go live failed to prove they were worth the time, money, or effort. One AI company founder told me that, based on his conversations with C-level executives, he believes the success rate of first-wave AI projects was less than 10%. The global consulting firm Accenture recently published research on what separates the winners from the rest of the pack. The firm emphasizes the importance of “thinking big”—that is, scaling AI systems aggressively across users and business functions—as well as securing executive buy-in, reskilling employees, and making significant investments in AI and cloud infrastructure. Accenture refers to companies that meet these criteria and see tangible results as “front runners.” Yet Accenture’s data shows that such companies are still in the minority. After surveying executives at nearly 2,000 companies with more than $1 billion in revenue, the firm found that only about one-third (34%) had made a long-term investment in a generative AI system focused on a core business function. “Accenture’s research revealed that a small minority of companies . . . are already achieving considerable success at reinventing their enterprises with gen AI,” the report states. It also found that among those surveyed, 15% are ready to “reinvent” themselves with AI, 43% are “progressing,” and another 43% are “merely experimenting.” Some companies may have been better off ignoring the early AI hype and waiting for the models, tools, and infrastructure to mature. On the other hand, there’s something to be said for learning by doing—even if the first attempt falls short. Google is putting AI models to work to protect against online and phone scams Online and phone scams, some of them powered by generative AI tools, surged in 2024 and continue to rise. Now, Google is deploying some of its latest AI models to help protect users from these threats. One such model is Gemini Nano, a lightweight AI that can run directly on a user’s device. Now, when a Chrome user enables Enhanced Protection mode in Safe Browsing—the browser’s highest security setting—the Nano model runs locally to scan web content for signs of fraud. It can recognize common scam tactics, such as bad actors posing as remote technical support staff, a tactic Google says is becoming increasingly common. The model is also capable of detecting novel scams it hasn’t encountered before. Google says it plans to use the on-device AI scam protection in the browser on mobile Android devices in the future, and to expand the detection to more types of scams. Google already uses on-device AI to detect scams in other mobile apps. The company recently began warning Android users of possible scams within text messages and phone calls. More AI coverage from Fast Company: How AI is reshaping student writing LinkedIn’s new AI tools help job seekers find smarter career fits AI scam calls are getting smarter. Here’s how telecoms are fighting back Apple eyes AI-powered search as Safari usage declines Want exclusive reporting and trend analysis on technology, business innovation, future of work, and design? Sign up for Fast Company Premium. View the full article

Gen Z’s career outlook: Stability, security and practicality. By CPA Trendlines Research Go PRO for members-only access to more CPA Trendlines Research. View the full article

Gen Z’s career outlook: Stability, security and practicality. By CPA Trendlines Research Go PRO for members-only access to more CPA Trendlines Research. View the full article

Israel’s ongoing blockade of humanitarian assistance for Gaza forced a leading aid group to shut its community soup kitchens Thursday as it faced empty warehouses and no replenishment of supplies in the war-battered enclave. World Central Kitchen was serving 133,000 meals per day and baking 80,000 loaves of bread over the past weeks, but said it was forced to suspend operations since there is almost no food left in Gaza for the organization to cook. The lack of food is threatening Gaza’s population, already battered by 19 months of war. In April, the World Food Program said its food stocks in Gaza had run out under Israel’s blockade, ending a main source of sustenance for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the territory. Shortages due to blockade drive hunger, malnutrition Malnutrition and hunger are becoming increasingly prevalent in the Gaza Strip as Israel’s total blockade enters its third month, and aid agencies say supplies to treat and prevent malnutrition are depleted and quickly running out. Israel imposed the blockade on March 2, then shattered a two-month ceasefire by resuming military operations in the territory on March 18. It said both steps aim to pressure the militant Hamas group to release hostages the extremists still hold. Rights groups call the blockade a “starvation tactic” that endangers the entire population and say it is a potential war crime. Community kitchens such as the ones run by World Central Kitchen are often the only way for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza to eat a daily meal. But a third of the communal kitchens supported by the U.N. have closed in the past 10 days for lack of food or fuel, the U.N. humanitarian office, or OCHA, said. It warned that number will plunge further in the coming days because of more imminent closures. “The hot meals provided by these kitchens constitute one of the last remaining lifelines” for Palestinians, OCHA said. At those still open, chaotic scenes of desperate men, women and children fighting to get meager rations are common. Bakeries have closed, while water distribution is grinding to a halt due to lack of fuel. Aid is waiting on the borders Since the start of the war, World Central Kitchen said it has served more than 130 million meals and baked 80 million loaves of bread. The organization also said on Thursday there was no flour left in their mobile bakery. “Our trucks — loaded with food and supplies — are waiting in Egypt, Jordan and Israel, ready to enter Gaza,” said José Andrés, the celebrity chef who founded the organization. “But they cannot move without permission. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to flow.” COGAT, the Israeli defense body overseeing aid to Gaza, said the blockade would continue unless the Israeli government changed its policy. ‘Hamas is engineering hunger’ Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer said the government was concerned that Hamas has control of humanitarian aid, and that Israeli officials are “actively exploring mechanisms” to get aid only to “those in need and not Hamas.” “It’s very, very important to remember that it is hunger which is engineered by Hamas,” Mencer said. Israel will remove the blockade when Hamas lays down its weapons, he said. Aid workers deny there is a significant diversion of aid to militants, saying the U.N. strictly monitors distribution. Since the start of the year, more than 10,000 children have been admitted or treated for acute malnutrition, according to the World Health Organization. The increase was particularly dramatic in March, with 3,600 cases — an 80% increase, compared to the 2,000 children in February, UNICEF reported. Nearly half the 200 nutrition centers around Gaza have shut down because of displacement and bombardment. World Central Kitchen had previously suspended operations in April of last year after seven aid workers were killed in Israeli strikes on their convoy, before resuming weeks later. Toll in Gaza continues to rise The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said Thursday the bodies of 106 people killed by Israeli strikes have been brought to hospitals over the past 24 hours. Hospitals also received 367 wounded, the ministry said in its daily report. The overall Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas war rose to at least 52,760 since Oct. 7, 2023, the ministry said. Another 119,264 have been wounded, it said. It said the tally includes 2,651 dead and 7,223 wounded since Israel resumed the war on March 18, shattering the ceasefire after nearly two-month hiatus. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but says more than half of the dead were women and children. The Israeli military said they are targeting Hamas infrastructure in Gaza. On Wednesday, chief of staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told commanders Israel was about to enter phase 2 of operations in Gaza, where Israel plans to “expand and intensify our operations. 1 killed, 8 injured in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon Also on Thursday, a series of Israeli airstrikes hit hilltops in the vicinity of the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh, killing at least one person and wounding eight others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The Israeli military said it bombed infrastructure that belonged to the Hezbollah militant group and included weapons and tunnels. Israel said that Hezbollah’s activities at the site violated a November ceasefire. Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the strikes. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said public institutions in the area were closed after the attacks as families rushed to schools to take their children home. Since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in November stopped the war between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon have continued. Hezbollah says its has largely disarmed south of the Litani River, while Israel insists the militants are rearming themselves. Some 4,000 people in Lebanon were killed during the war, including many civilians. Journalist from Jenin detained for six months A renowned Palestinian journalist arrested by the Israeli military and suffering from multiple chronic illnesses has been placed on six months of administrative detention, the Israeli military said. Ali Samoudi, who has worked for international news outlets including CNN and Al Jazeera, was detained late last month by the Israeli military from his family home in the city of Jenin in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and has spent part of the time in the hospital due to chronic health issues. The Israeli military said Samoudi was detained based on involvement in “actions endangering regional security” but that a police investigation did not find sufficient evidence against him to issue an arrest. However, on Thursday, a military court decided to place him under administrative detention for six months. Israeli authorities can renew administrative detentions indefinitely. Detainees are held without charge or trial. Israel says the controversial tactic is necessary to contain dangerous militants and avoid divulging incriminating material for security reasons. But Palestinians and rights groups say the system denies due process and is widely abused. —Wafaa Shurafa and Kareem Chehayeb, Associated Press Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman contributed to this report. View the full article

In addition to the new “sagas” tag (for letters with multiple updates, twists, and turns), we now have the following tags as well: AAM classics – a tag for posts that are still frequently discussed years later. It includes the new hire who built a blanket fort in her office, the new boss who was a ghosted ex from years before, the coworker who wanted everyone to call her boyfriend her “master,” the spicy food thief, and many more. Favorites – some of my favorite posts over the years. Worst Boss of the Year Nominee – now every finalist for Worst Boss of the Year has been tagged and you can read about these degenerates all in one place. These are tags, not categories, so they’re not in the Category list to the right, but you can find them in the Topics index linked from the top menu bar. In addition, in response to a reader suggestion, for letters with multiple updates, I’ve added “next update” to the bottom of each letter in the saga, so that you can click through sequentially. (Here’s an example.) The post some new tags! appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

Once a year, a crowd of thousands of runners fill Central Park as they look up at the sky with joy, relief, exhaustion, and tears, knowing they just completed the iconic TCS New York City Marathon. Recognizing the endless storytelling opportunities that come from the event, New York Road Runners (NYRR), the nonprofit behind the marathon, is launching its own production studio, East 89th St Productions. “It was clear to me that this was a huge opportunity for the organization from the first day that I went to the finish line of the marathon,” NYRR CEO Rob Simmelkjaer says. “It’s rare that you can look and see total strangers by the hundreds, having a moment that you know they’re never going to forget.” Named after NYRR’s early headquarters on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, East 89th St Productions partnered with Tribeca Studios to produce Final Finishers, a short documentary film showcasing the last tens of thousands of runners crossing the finish line in the final hours of the NYC Marathon. The film is set to premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival on June 12. ‘A very significant next step’ The launch of NYRR’s production studio is a continuation of a larger effort to reach and connect with wider audiences through content creation. Prior to assuming his leadership position in December 2022, Simmelkjaer spent almost 10 years at ESPN and eight years at NBC Sports. At the start of his tenure at NYRR, he set out long-term plans, including broadening awareness of NYRR’s initiatives beyond organizing over 60 local races. Due to his background in media, Simmelkjaer saw content creation and storytelling as the logical next step towards building awareness and community. “I had to sell both internally and externally the idea that this was an essential part of what we do, because we needed to be talking to our existing audience of runners and members and stakeholders in a new way,” he says. In addition to expanding its existing content creation team, which focused on broadcasting the races and managing the organization’s social media, Simmelkjaer branched into podcasting. With over 100 episodes, “Set the Pace” features stories from runners, as well as running tips, every Thursday, in partnership with Peloton. “The podcast was like a beachhead for us. It kind of planted our flag on the beach in terms of content,” Simmelkjaer says. “The studio is a very significant next step in the evolution of this vision.” Take the money and run In addition to building community engagement, content creation is also driving the nonprofit toward another goal: diversifying revenue streams. While NYRR relies primarily on race entry fees and philanthropic donations, content creation opens the door for monetization, new partnerships, and the creation of a deeper connection between donors and the nonprofit’s mission. “At the heart of every nonprofit is a mission and that mission can always be told as a story or a set of stories,” Simmelkjaer says. The expansion to content creation as a broader strategy can also be adopted by other mission-based nonprofits, visually showcasing the impact of an organization. “When donors support a cause, there is something that is moving them to support that cause,” Simmelkjaer says. “There’s something the nonprofit is bringing about a world that the donor wants to see. When you can see in really human and understandable terms what impact that an organization is having, I think that’s going to be more powerful than any PowerPoint presentation can ever be.” View the full article

Debate highlights uncertain outlook for UK growth and ‘plethora of risks’ facing economyView the full article

Cardinals have chosen the next leader of the Catholic Church View the full article

The social media platform X said Thursday it has blocked access to jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu ’s account in Turkey, complying with a Turkish court order — the latest measure targeting a key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. However, Elon Musk‘s X said that while the company abided by the order, it disagrees with it and is legally challenging it. It said X complied to avoid severe punishments, such as the throttling of the whole platform in Turkey. “X has been and will continue to object to removal orders including government requests in courts to protect users when those requests do not align with principles of free expression, due process, or other local laws,” the company said on its Global Government Affairs account. The statement said X maintains that “keeping the platform accessible in (Turkey) is vital to supporting freedom of expression and access to information.” Imamoglu, seen as the main opposition challenger to Erdogan’s 22-year rule, was arrested on March 19 and jailed on corruption charges. He was nominated as his Republican People’s Party, or CHP’s presidential candidate while in custody. His arrest has been widely viewed as politically motivated although the government insists Turkey’s judiciary is independent and free of political influence. It triggered widespread demonstrations calling for his release and an end to Turkey’s democratic backsliding under Erdogan. According to Engelli Web, a website that that tracks and reports internet censorship in Turkey, X restricted Imamoglu’s account in Turkey complying with a legal request by Turkish authorities who cited national security and public order concerns. A notice that appears on Imamoglu’s account, which has 9.7 million followers, says it has been “withheld in TR in response to a legal demand.” The account remains accessible outside of Turkey. Gonenc Gurkaynak, a lawyer representing X in Turkey, said he had filed an appeal on behalf of the platform against the decision blocking the account. He said he had submitted a 27-page petition and hundreds of pages of supporting documents to the court. The Turkish presidency’s Center for Countering Disinformation said the court decision followed an investigation into a post by Imamoglu on X, which prosecutors assessed to be an incitement to commit a crime. Authorities also ruled that because Imamoglu is currently detained, his account is not directly managed by him and therefore poses a threat to public order. On Thursday, CHP’s leader Ozgur Ozel welcomed X’s decision to challenge the court order but said the platform should have resisted complying with it. “X should not impose this restriction, which contradicts universal freedoms and the company’s own principles,” he said and urged Imamoglu’s supporters to follow the mayor’s international account and re-share his posts. Ozel also criticized Erdogan’s administration saying that “there probably is no other government that uses its judicial power so unfairly against its opponent.” Despite his detention, Imamoglu had remained active on social media. Supporters criticized the restriction as an assault on free speech in Turkey. They showed solidarity with the mayor by replacing their profile pictures with Imamoglu’s image. —Suzan Fraser, Associated Press View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Samsung just announced a new live stream for the upcoming Galaxy S25 Edge. The company initially teased the phone at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event back in January, but details are still slim on the upcoming device. How to stream Samsung 'Beyond Slim' (and reserve your phone)Samsung's "Beyond Slim" live stream for the "slimmest Galaxy S Series ever" will air on May 12 at 8 p.m. ET (May 13 at 9 a.m. KST). You'll be able to watch the event via Samsung's website or on the company's YouTube channel, which you can find below: If you are excited to get your hands on the new Galaxy S25 Edge, you can reserve the new phone from Samsung's website. In return, you'll get a $50 credit you can use on the Samsung store. Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge rumored specsWhile official details about the Galaxy S25 Edge are still under wraps, that hasn't slowed the speculation. The Galaxy S25 Edge could be just 5.84mm thick. (For comparison, the standard Galaxy S25 is 7.2mm thick.) Leaks suggest that Samsung is putting a 3,900 mAh battery in the S25 Edge's slim design, which makes it the smallest battery in the Galaxy S25 lineup. Like the rest of the Galaxy S25 series, the Galaxy S25 Edge will presumably run the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip with up to 12GB of RAM. The phone could also have a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. For cameras, leaks suggest the phone will be packing a dual-lens setup, which includes a 200MP main lens and a 12MP ultrawide. Rumored pricing for the Galaxy S25 Edge suggest the phone will cost between the Galaxy S25+ ($999) and the Galaxy S25 Ultra ($1,299), but we'll have to wait for confirmation at the live stream next week. View the full article

Today's Bissett Bullet: “The less time we take telling our potential clients about what we do, the more time we have to learn about them.” By Martin Bissett See more Bissett Bullets here Go PRO for members-only access to more Martin Bissett. View the full article

Today's Bissett Bullet: “The less time we take telling our potential clients about what we do, the more time we have to learn about them.” By Martin Bissett See more Bissett Bullets here Go PRO for members-only access to more Martin Bissett. View the full article

While a lot of May gardening is dedicated to moving plants into the ground, there is still plenty of seeding to be done. Inside, I'm starting late-planted vegetables like cucumbers, and a second round of annual flowers, like stock and celosia. Outside, I'm beginning to direct seed vegetables like corn and beans, and annuals like sunflowers. It's important to remember to stay on top of your succession planting during this busy time. And finally, there's no better time to start, reseed, or overseed your eco lawn. Lawns A clover lawn before being cut Credit: Amanda Blum Take advantage of the last of the rains to help germinate your eco lawn or clover lawn. You don't have to convert your whole yard, either, if you're anxious about it. Carve out a smaller area to seed with clover to try it. Ideally, you’re not creating a monoculture of one kind of seed, so other low lying flowers can be added in like yarrow, English daisy, and multiple types of clover. I add traditional clover for winter coverage, and red and strawberry clover for the summer to get pops of color. Annual flowersIn most parts of the U.S., you’ll start to get enough sunshine this month to direct seed outside, which just means you’ll plant the seeds in the soil, rather than try to grow seedlings inside to plant outside later. If you’re going to try to direct-seed annuals like wildflowers, they can start going in the ground as soon as you’ve reasonably passed the risk of frost. Pay attention to the packet for instructions as to the depth of seeds—many seeds cannot germinate by simply being sprinkled on top of the soil; they need cover of soil. Your sunflower seeds, for instance, need a depth of an inch or so. A good basic rule is that seeds need to be planted as deep as their size. So tiny seeds like celosia are ok to be sowed on the surface, but marigolds and zinnia must be planted about half an inch deep. If you want to scatter the seeds to get a more natural look rather than poke holes for the seeds, scratch up an area so there’s soil contact for the seeds, then scatter them and cover them by sprinkling soil on top and patting it down. Finish by watering. I plant a row of sunflowers on the edge of my garden every year. Credit: Amanda Blum Remember that summer is finite, so if you haven’t planted annual flower starts and you want to direct seed, you’ll want to do so before the end of May—although you may succession-seed another round of flowers later this summer, like zinnias or sunflowers. Consider ideas like a flower wall, or a row of sunflowers at the edge of the property or garden to define the area. Direct sown vegetablesWhile some people direct sow vegetables like tomatoes and peppers outside, for most of the U.S., the summer is simply too short to do so and get a reasonable yield of fruit. This is why people buy vegetable starts at the nursery. Some vegetables, though, are fast-growing and prefer not to have their roots disturbed, so seeding them in the garden is a fine idea, and now is the time to do so. There's almost no reason to start beans inside; they grow quickly and have shallow roots, so they are best seeded outside. Remember that beans are either bush type or vine type, and both need support, but vining beans can grow ten to twelve feet tall: Strong support will be needed, as beans can easily pull a trellis down. Cucumbers on a frame trellis Credit: Amanda Blum Cucumbers are ideal to start outside, particularly cucamelons (Mexican sour gherkins, which have become quite popular the last few years). They germinate within a few weeks and prefer not to have their roots disturbed. You can succession plant your cucumbers, so put another round of seeds in the ground in a few weeks. Cucumbers can crawl on the dirt, but you'll get better use of space and cleaner cucumbers if you use a trellis designed for them. when pumpkins are grown on trellises, you make slings for them to add support Credit: Amanda Blum Pumpkins and squash are fine to seed in the dirt. Pumpkins benefit from a hilling process. A popular way to do this is to dump a bucket or two of compost into a pile, creating a hill, and then place two or three pumpkin seeds in each hill. If these are giant pumpkins, you'll thin the seedlings to one, but for regular size pumpkins, you can have two seedlings. I've also had tremendous success growing pie pumpkins or mini pumpkins on an arch, so the pumpkins hang down. I'll be doing that again this summer with black and white pumpkins. Most squash will germinate quickly, and while you can pick up summer squash and zucchini starts, you have plenty of time to grow from seed in most climates. Give it a try this summer. Corn should be grown in blocks for better pollination. Credit: Amanda Blum Corn should always be direct seeded. It is easy to germinate, and it grows fast. Make sure you're planting corn in blocks of four by four feet, so there's enough corn to pollinate itself. Corn grows tassels, which are pollinated by the wind, so unless you have a big enough block of corn stalks, you won't get corn. Don't try to grow a short row or a few plants; you need a substantial block of plants. Melons are similar to squash and cucumbers and can be direct sown outside—but remember that melons and those cucurbits can cross pollinate, so don't plant them close together or you'll end up with Franken-squash, a common garden occurrence. Succession seedingBe sure to take advantage of the last spring rain to germinate additional rounds of carrots. Since they need constant moisture during germination, the rain can carry the load here. This time of year, I leave the radish, lettuce, green onion, beet, and kohlrabi seeds outside in a protected spot so I’ll remember to seed them once a week. You don’t need to put out a packet’s worth each week, just the number that you’ll eat. It helps to mark rows as you go so you don’t plant in a spot you’ve already seeded. lettuce grown in troughs Credit: Amanda Blum My favorite tip for having a summers’ worth of lettuce is to direct seed a long, low trough planter of lettuce, but you can just pick a corner of a planting bed. Dump the whole packet of seeds in and be sure to mix it with the top layer of soil so it’s distributed evenly. Water the area and as the seeds germinate, you'll have a planter packed with lettuce. But if it's too packed, it won’t grow much, so each week, I grab a scoop from the end of the planter, separate those seedlings, and plant them out in the garden beds. The planter acts as a holding space for lettuce most of the summer, and each week I pluck out a few to plant. Seeding insideThere are still seedlings I grow inside this time of year, despite the abundant sunshine because growing inside means less exposure to predators like squirrels, birds, and rabbits, and I can control the atmosphere. If it's a particularly bad year for slugs, for instance, I may choose to grow cucumbers inside as starts. Sometimes I grow them in both locations so I can sub a start in if a cucumber plant gets eaten. I also grow a second round of flowers inside, like stock and celosia. These are delicate seeds that benefit from a lot of attention, so I find growing them inside in a controlled environment is easier. Then I can place the grown starts precisely where I want them. View the full article

Crypto industry prepares for expected wave of demand from banks and asset managersView the full article

I’m a writing professor who sees artificial intelligence as more of an opportunity for students, rather than a threat. That sets me apart from some of my colleagues, who fear that AI is accelerating a glut of superficial content, impeding critical thinking and hindering creative expression. They worry that students are simply using it out of sheer laziness or, worse, to cheat. Perhaps that’s why so many students are afraid to admit that they use ChatGPT. In The New Yorker magazine, historian D. Graham Burnett recounts asking his undergraduate and graduate students at Princeton whether they’d ever used ChatGPT. No one raised their hand. “It’s not that they’re dishonest,” he writes. “It’s that they’re paralyzed.” Students seem to have internalized the belief that using AI for their coursework is somehow wrong. Yet, whether my colleagues like it or not, most college students are using it. A February 2025 report from the Higher Education Policy Institute in the U.K. found that 92% of university students are using AI in some form. As early as August 2023—a mere nine months after ChatGPT’s public release—more than half of first-year students at Kennesaw State University, the public research institution where I teach, reported that they believed that AI is the future of writing. It’s clear that students aren’t going to magically stop using AI. So I think it’s important to point out some ways in which AI can actually be a useful tool that enhances, rather than hampers, the writing process. Helping with the busywork A February 2025 OpenAI report on ChatGPT use among college-aged users found that more than one-quarter of their ChatGPT conversations were education-related. The report also revealed that the top five uses for students were writing-centered: starting papers and projects (49%); summarizing long texts (48%); brainstorming creative projects (45%); exploring new topics (44%); and revising writing (44%). These figures challenge the assumption that students use AI merely to cheat or write entire papers. Instead, it suggests they are leveraging AI to free up more time to engage in deeper processes and metacognitive behaviors—deliberately organizing ideas, honing arguments and refining style. If AI allows students to automate routine cognitive tasks—like information retrieval or ensuring that verb tenses are consistent—it doesn’t mean they’re thinking less. It means their thinking is changing. Of course, students can misuse AI if they use the technology passively, reflexively accepting its outputs and ideas. And overreliance on ChatGPT can erode a student’s unique voice or style. However, as long as students learn how to use AI intentionally, this shift can be seen as an opportunity, rather than a loss, Clarifying the creative vision It has also become clear that AI, when used responsibly, can augment human creativity. For example, science comedy writer Sarah Rose Siskind recently gave a talk to Harvard students about her creative process. She spoke about how she uses ChatGPT to brainstorm joke setups and explore various comedic scenarios, which allows her to focus on crafting punchlines and refining her comedic timing. Note how Siskin used AI in ways that didn’t supplant the human touch. Instead of replacing her creativity, AI amplified it by providing structured and consistent feedback, giving her more time to polish her jokes. Another example is the Rhetorical Prompting Method, which I developed alongside fellow Kennesaw State University researchers. Designed for university students and adult learners, it’s a framework for conversing with an AI chatbot, one that emphasizes the importance of agency in guiding AI outputs. When writers use precise language to prompt, critical thinking to reflect, and intentional revision to sculpt inputs and outputs, they direct AI to help them generate content that aligns with their vision. There’s still a process The Rhetorical Prompting Method mirrors best practices in process writing, which encourages writers to revisit, refine and revise their drafts. When using ChatGPT, though, it’s all about thoughtfully revisiting and revising prompts and outputs. For instance, say a student wants to create a compelling PSA for social media to encourage campus composting. She considers her audience. She prompts ChatGPT to draft a short, upbeat message in under 50 words that’s geared to college students. Reading the first output, she notices it lacks urgency. So she revises the prompt to emphasize immediate impact. She also adds some additional specifics that are important to her message, such as the location of an information session. The final PSA reads: “Every scrap counts! Join campus composting today at the Commons. Your leftovers aren’t trash—they’re tomorrow’s gardens. Help our university bloom brighter, one compost bin at a time.” The Rhetorical Prompting Method isn’t groundbreaking; it’s riffing on a process that’s been tested in the writing studies discipline for decades. But I’ve found that it works by directing writers how to intentionally prompt. I know this because we asked users about their experiences. In an ongoing study, my colleagues and I polled 133 people who used the Rhetorical Prompting Method for their academic and professional writing: 92% reported that it helped them evaluate writing choices before and during their process. 75% said that they were able to maintain their authentic voice while using AI assistance. 89% responded that it helped them think critically about their writing. The data suggests that learners take their writing seriously. Their responses reveal that they are thinking carefully about their writing styles and strategies. While this data is preliminary, we continue to gather responses in different courses, disciplines and learning environments. All of this is to say that, while there are divergent points of view over when and where it’s appropriate to use AI, students are certainly using it. And being provided with a framework can help them think more deeply about their writing. AI, then, is not just a tool that’s useful for trivial tasks. It can be an asset for creativity. If today’s students—who are actively using AI to write, revise and explore ideas—see AI as a writing partner, I think it’s a good idea for professors to start thinking about helping them learn the best ways to work with it. Jeanne Beatrix Law is a professor of English at Kennesaw State University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

Japanese video-game maker Nintendo on Thursday reported a 43% decline in profit for the fiscal year through March, but promised a turnaround as its Switch console upgrade goes on sale in June. Nintendo Co.’s profit for the fiscal year through March totaled 278.8 billion yen ($1.9 billion), down from 490 billion yen the previous fiscal year. Annual sales slipped 30% to 1.16 trillion yen ($8 billion) from 1.67 trillion yen, according to the Kyoto-based maker of the Super Mario and Donkey Kong games. The fortunes of game companies tend to decline somewhat as time passes after a new game machine goes on sale since many people have already bought the machine, although new hit software helps boost the results. Much anticipation has been building over the rollout of the so-called Switch 2, which goes on sale June 5. Nintendo said it expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles for the fiscal year through March 2026. Demand has dwindled for the current Switch, now in its eighth year after its debut. The number of Switch players around the world remains above 128 million people, according to Nintendo. Nintendo said attractive software was coming for the Switch 2 later this year, including “The Legend of Zelda” games, a Pokemon title and a Kirby game, as well as offerings from outside software companies. Also adding to the momentum is the opening of a Nintendo store in San Francisco and the Super Nintendo World amusement facility opening in Orlando, both set for this month, according to Nintendo. Nintendo is projecting a 300 billion yen ($2.1 billion) profit for the fiscal year ending in March next year, a nearly 8% improvement from the fiscal year just ended, on sales of 1.9 trillion yen ($13 billion), up 63% on-year. Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama —Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer View the full article

In an ideal world, you'd lead a long and happy life only ever shutting down and restarting your PC via the Start menu. Click the power icon, choose your option, and you're done. However, life doesn't always work out like we plan it, and sometimes you may need to trigger a restart or shutdown from the command prompt instead. Maybe something is stopping the Start menu from working, or perhaps you find yourself on a screen where the Start menu isn't available. One of the scenarios where I use the command prompt to shut down Windows is when I'm in the initial setup phase for the operating system and don't want to complete it right away. The shutdown command can turn off your PC on a timer. Credit: Lifehacker You might also have loaded the command prompt interface to try and troubleshoot a problem that's stopping Windows from working—in which case you need to know how to power off or reboot your computer without pressing and holding the power button. (If you are having PC issues, see also this lesser-known emergency restart option.) Using the command promptIf you're completely new to the command prompt, it's the text-based interface hidden away in Windows, a remnant of the old days before computer operating systems had pointers and graphical user interfaces, and still useful for running a variety of low-level system operations. PowerShell doesn't look too different to the command prompt at first glance. Credit: Lifehacker The command prompt is also accompanied by PowerShell, which is a more modern and feature-rich version of this interface. As far as these shutdown and restart commands are concerned, you can use either for the job, but if you ever need to run more advanced text commands, scripts, and automations, PowerShell is better set up to accommodate them. You can launch either the command prompt or PowerShell from the Start menu: Just type the first few letters of either utility into the search box at the top to find them. There are various other options too, like right-clicking on the Start menu button and choosing Terminal, or by typing "cmd" into the search box on the taskbar and hitting Enter. Using the "shutdown" command The text command you need to either shut down or restart your Windows computer is 'shutdown'. If you type it into the command prompt or PowerShell and then hit Enter, you'll get a full description of shutdown, and all the ways you can use it (by the way, you can add "| more" to this or any command to see a page of text at a time). Type "shutdown /s" to trigger a standard shutdownThe most basic flags you'll need are "shutdown /s" and "shutdown /r" to power off and restart your computer, respectively. In both cases you'll see a dialog box on screen telling you what's happening, and the action is taken in less than a minute. These commands will initiate a normal shutdown process, so you'll be prompted to save any unsaved work in your open programs that usually do that. This will restart Windows and launch the advanced boot options screen. Credit: Lifehacker Type "shutdown /s /f" to force a shutdownTo force all apps to close without any further prompting—perhaps if you need to make sure the shutdown or restart goes through without a hitch—add the "/f" to the end of your command (so, either "shutdown /s /f" for a shutdown or "shutdown /r /f" for a restart). You do this at your own risk though, with the risk of losing data that hasn't already been saved, and it's probably best left as a last resort. Type "shutdown /r /o" to access advanced boot optionsFor troubleshooting purposes, the "shutdown /r /o" command is useful because it reboots your computer into the advanced boot options screen. That's the one that gives you access to features such as using a USB drive to recover your PC, running the built-in start-up repair utility, and rolling back recent updates to Windows. You can also get back to the command prompt from here without starting the operating system. The shutdown command can also be used to stop a shutdown. Credit: Lifehacker Time your shutdown by adding "/t"Another flag that can be useful is the "/t" flag followed by a space and a number. This puts the shutdown or the restart on a delay, giving you time to close apps or finish downloads. The number is the number of seconds Windows should wait, and it can go from 0 (instant) all the way up to 315360000—that's 10 years, if you were wondering. If the seconds are set to anything above zero, the "/f" flag is also applied. Stop a shutdown with "shutdown /a"One final one that you might find helpful: You can use "shutdown /a" to abort a shutdown that's currently underway (perhaps one that you've set on a timer). For a full rundown of all the ways you can use this command, including some advanced options for IT managers (such as remote shutdowns), check out the official Microsoft documentation. View the full article

Last week we talked about the smallest amount of power you’ve ever seen someone abuse. But people can also use even small amounts of power for good — like the crossing guard who wasn’t really a crossing guard, or the graphic designer who sabotaged a homophobic group’s ad in her newspaper. This week, let’s talk about times when you’ve seen someone exploit their power for good — not just times when you saw someone be a good person at work, but times when someone violated the letter or the spirit of a rule or otherwise did something that could technically be considered under-handed in order to achieve good in the world. Please share in the comments! The post let’s talk about people “misusing” their power for good appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

Google's latest Android Security Bulletin patches 46 security vulnerabilities impacting Android devices, one of which is a zero-day flaw in FreeType that may be under "limited, targeted exploitation." The security update for May includes fixes for a range of issues: most are an elevation of privilege flaws, though there are a few information disclosure and denial of service vulnerabilities and one remote code execution bug. All are considered high severity. May's patch also addresses vulnerabilities with Qualcomm, MediaTek, Arm, and Imagination Technologies components. One active exploitThe zero-day addressed with the latest update is a remote code execution flaw labeled CVE-2025-27363. It impacts FreeType, an open-source font rendering library, and allows attackers to exploit how the program processes certain files. The bug affects FreeType versions 2.13.0 and below and was first reported by security researchers at Facebook in March 2025, though details as to how it has been exploited have not been disclosed. What Android users need to doIf you have an Android device, you should get a notification to install the latest security update as soon as it's available. Google pushes patches to Pixel phones and the core Android Open Source Project (AOSP) code, while other device manufacturers—Samsung, Motorola, and Nokia—typically issue updates around the same time. This month's patches apply to AOSP versions 13, 14, and 15, with separate updates dated 2025-05-01 and 2025-05-05 (the latter addresses all of the flaws identified). Note that Google ended support for Android 12 as of March 31, meaning devices running this and older versions won't receive security updates even though they may be affected by some of the vulnerabilities. If you're not sure whether your device has been patched, check for available updates via Settings > Security & privacy > System & updates > Security update and follow the prompts to download and install. View the full article

Pope Francis left a lasting legacy, not least his appreciation for art. In his 2025 biography, Hope, Francis spoke of his admiration for the Baroque painter Caravaggio. He recalled that during his travels to Rome as a cardinal, he prayed in front of the painting by Caravaggio—The Calling of Saint Matthew. The painting is found in the chapel dedicated to St. Matthew in the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi. The donor of the chapel was a French cardinal, Matthieu Cointerel, who died in 1585. This was the first commission for Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, who was hired in July 1599. A year later, The Calling of Saint Matthew and The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew, depicting the beginning and the end of the apostle Matthew’s ministry, were installed. The motto that Francis selected for his papacy, “miserando atque eligendo,” translated as “looking at him with mercy, he chose him,” is directly connected with this painting. The words “miserando atque eligendo” come from a sermon on the calling of Matthew written in the eighth century by the celebrated monk and historian Bede the Venerable. It is used in the readings for the Feast of St. Matthew on September 21. The Calling of Saint Matthew ‘The Calling of Saint Matthew’ Matthew is described in the Bible as a tax collector, viewed at the time as a highly dubious occupation. In the painting, Christ enters the room from the right. We see only his silhouetted head and outstretched arm pointing in Matthew’s direction. Light from the window behind Christ, which aligns with the actual light from the window in the chapel, falls on a group of men, including some handsome youths in fancy clothes, counting money. Matthew, the bearded man in the center, makes a gesture that suggests, “Who, me?” Matthew became one of four disciples of Christ—along with Mark, Luke, and John—whose accounts of Christ’s life, called Gospels, are included in the Bible. Francis and Jesuit training Francis’s thinking about this painting was shaped by his training as a Jesuit, a Catholic order that he entered in 1958. Jesuits practice something called a process of “discernment.” The painting represents God calling to Matthew to show him his will for the future, one that requires discernment. The founder of the order, Ignatius of Loyola, stressed a humble but vigorous effort to understand God’s will for each individual, as part of this process. Ignatius’s own life demonstrated this search for God’s will. His initial career as a soldier ended when he was gravely wounded in the battle of Pamplona in 1521, permanently damaging his leg. He subsequently tried to follow the life of a hermit, meditating in solitude, and then tried to become a missionary to the Holy Land. At the age of 33, he entered a university in order to become a priest, ultimately initiating the most influential transformation of religious education since the Middle Ages. Jesuits became a great teaching force, stressing individual study and debate over memorization. Ignatius was named a saint in 1622. Inspiration of Saint Matthew ‘The Inspiration of St. Matthew’ The central painting in the chapel, Inspiration of Saint Matthew is Caravaggio’s third painting, which was put in place in 1602. The patrons originally planned to install statues at the center, but upon their arrival they rejected the idea and commissioned Caravaggio instead. This painting also shows the saint searching to understand God’s directions. In this painting, Matthew is in conversation with his symbol, a winged man. Each of the four evangelists are represented in art through symbols. The winged man symbol for Matthew refers to the beginning of his Gospel that records the genealogy of Christ. The angel-like figure, resembling one of the young men depicted alongside the saint in Caravaggio’s The Calling of St. Matthew, appears to hold his left index finger with his right hand, as if to signal that this is the first and most important point. Matthew seems careworn, even distracted, struggling to write while leaning his knee on a bench. Francis remarked in his biography that Caravaggio increased viewers’ empathy by using “contemporary figures from the artist’s own time.” The figures in the painting are dressed in clothes worn in Italy in the late 16th century, so that the viewers in Caravaggio’s time could see themselves in the painting. Viewers come to art with different perspectives derived from their own experiences and challenges. Francis, too, connected to art through his own experiences. Virginia Raguin is a distinguished professor of humanities emerita at the College of the Holy Cross. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

We're bringing the world's no. 1 Wi-Fi event to - perhaps - the world's most important business hub right now. Welcome to WWC Dubai. The post Wi-Fi World Congress Dubai: We’re open for business – get in touch now! appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

BoE to scrap limits on lending and treasury activities introduced after the 2008 financial crisisView the full article

From mindful walking to redefining worth, this conversation reveals what it really takes to thrive. Accounting ARC With Arpan Grewal Center for Accounting Transformation Go PRO for members-only access to more Center for Accounting Transformation. View the full article